Directional tires pull to the right?

[woodycraig]

Hello Pelican People
I have been a lurker for about a year. Love this forum, great information.
My 80 SC had a worn set of Pirellis. The car tracked straight and smooth. Hands off the wheel at 80 mph. I replaced them with a set of slightly used Brigstone SO3s and had a 4 wheel alignment. Disaster! Shakes shimmies, bumps and wumps. Some times it was like driving a paint shaker. To add to my misery it also pulled to the right. Lesion learned, used tires are not always a good deal!
I have just put on new set of Fuzions ZRIs and had the alignment redone. This was done by a good front-end guy who knows p cars. The readings indicate dead center. It’s nice and smooth now, no vibrations. The car still drifts to the right. The steering wheel does not pull, but if you let go it will drift to the right.
The question is? Do directional tires drift to the right. My experience so far, Pirellis no,
SO3 and Fusion yes.

Is it the car or the tries????




Picture of my baby at Laguna Seca

[ruf-porsche]

Depends on the crown in the road. Most roads are built with a slight crown so that water drain to the side of the road. Try the same test on a four or six lane highway

[Quicksilver]

The real question is if you can trust whoever did the alignment. It might not be very good (especially in the rear) and the corner balance could be off.

The other bit is a set of tires worn on a different car is going to do odd things. Tires always wear unevenly especially on a street car. Until you try a fresh set I wouldn't throw my hands in the air.

Also, are the tire pressures correct. When you align a car some shops put the pressures way up so that can cause the car to do some odd things.

[ZOA NOM]

I run the Fuzions, no drift at all. I maintain accurate pressures.

[Dantilla]

I currently have SO-3's, no drift.

Bridgestone, Hoosier, Yokohama and Goodyear are all tires I've used recently. No problems like yours.

[Wil Ferch]

You broke a cardinal rule for trouble-shooting...you made two changes at the same time...tire change and 4 wheel alignment.

If you can mount your old tires...using the new alignment settings...you'd have a handle on the situation. Probably can't do that , though.

My money's on a duff alignment....

Wil

[Zeke]

Hey Woody, welcome to the forum as a poster and not just a lurker. The question I have is how the the Pirellis wear? Nice and even? If so, then Wil probably has it figured out. He usually does.

Seriously, you can't trust very many alignment people when it comes to a 4 wheel alignment. I think if you make changes, you have to drive the car and set it up on the rack again. Don't ask me why, I just do because of some factors I have run into.

[ZOA NOM]

I second the bad alignment theory. I was lucky enough to be allowed by my mechanic to perform a full 4 wheel alignment on my car on his rack with his supervision. Without a doubt, it takes a LOT of repitition and fine tuning to get it right. I spent an entire Saturday, at least 6 hours of continuous work to dial it in, and it was still a compromise. My mechanic said, "Now, when you tell me you can get your car aligned for under $200, you will understand my smile."